Peller Estates

About Peller Estates

Savour life at Peller Estates where winemakers Katie Dickieson & Emily Aubie and winery chef and TV personality Jason Parsons work together to create Canada’s most creative wine and food experiences. Sample an extraordinary range of wines from the delightful Sparkling Rosé to the powerhouse Signature Series or enjoy innovative wine-tasting experiences including the 10Below Peller Icewine Lounge.

Representative Biography

Emily Aubie, Winemaker

While completing a PhD in chemistry, Emily decided she preferred to make wine over pharmaceuticals and began studying at Brock University’s Cool Climate Viticulture Institute. After graduating, she worked at Tawse winery as a Laboratory Technician and then as Assistant Winemaker. Next, Emily moved to Trius Winery as a vintage cellar hand before travelling to do vintages in Australia, New Zealand and British Columbia; she returned to Andrew Peller Limited in 2015. In 2016 Emily spent a year as a postdoctoral researcher at Brock University studying the effect of harvesting grapes following severe frost and the results on wine quality. Emily is a passionate winemaker who is continuously challenging convention to push our vineyards and our wines to the next level. As a now permanent member of our winemaking team, Emily is focused on making premium VQA wines.

Why We're Cool

Peller Estates is literally on the edge of cool climate for viticulture! With the winter temperatures our region reaches, we are only able to grow grapes in Niagara due in part to the Niagara Escarpment and effects of Lake Ontario.

The micro-climate in our Niagara-on-the-Lake vineyards are blessed with the moderating effect of Lake Ontario which provides warming in winter and cooling in summer. Lake breezes in the summer do not allow heat to accumulate in the vineyards, which slows and evens berry development over the growing season, preserving acidity and aromatics.

Our average GGD would illustrate our region as being cool climate and our relatively short growing season and proximity to cold landmass bring on an earlier fall and winter than in warmer regions.

Our winemaking style incorporates a judicious use of oak to respect our fresh fruit aromatics and a measured approach to malolactic fermentation and lees management. We aim to produce cool wines with balance and ageability!

Our Chardonnay Vineyards:
Our Signature Series Chardonnay vineyard bears 25 year old vines grown less than 1km from Lake Ontario (Niagara Lakeshore). The lighter, sandy soils help control vine vigor and produce fruit of exceptional quality.

Further into Niagara-on-the-Lake, our Chardonnay blocks in the sun-soaked Four Mile Creek sub-appellation have an early bud break, maximizing our growing season and offering fruit of great maturity, fruit intensity and richness.